Jacqueline Fernandez on being bullied: Actors mocked my accent, felt I was trying too hard to be Indian

In a shocking revelation of sorts, Jacqueline opens up about the kind of bullying she had to face for her accented Hindi or for her Indian outfits, at the hands of industry insiders. Watch the full video.

By Nayandeep Rakshit

Updated on Mar 06, 2020 | 11:14 AM IST | 667.7K

Jacqueline Fernandez on being bullied: Actors mocked my accent, felt I was trying too hard to be Indian

Jacqueline Fernandez decided to shift base to India, years ago, after winning a beauty pageant in Sri Lanka. For her, it was a completely new space and a whole new country to adapt to. While she reveals it was initially a huge issue for her to adjust to the culture, food was never an issue. But language definitely was!

The Race 3 heroine states, "I didn't belong here. So I knew I would never be able to speak Hindi like Sonakshi (Sinha). Even my co-actors have imitated my Hindi to the extent that they spoofed it. I used to get really angry. It's not that I don't try. I take regular classes for hours everyday and I'm getting better for sure. Previously, I used to say weird things in Hindi. My friends have sometimes corrected me but there were also a few who made fun of me and ridiculed me. I am not friends with them anymore."

But the bullying wasn't limited to just her friends. She reveals even industry folks made fun of her. "There was this Diwali party and I was wearing a really pretty Indian outfit. These three actor friends of mine looked at me and said, 'Jackie, you're trying too hard to be Indian and fit in'," she exclaims. Today, Jacqueline has been accepted and loved by the Indian audience and she calls it her biggest victory.